Caged Miko
by Stardust Miko
Summary: Kagome is kidnapped and sold into slavery. Sesshomaru buys her, intending to gloat over Inuyasha, but the cold-hearted Lord of the West is captivated by the miko. He sets out to tame the wild beauty he has managed to cage. But Kagome refuses to be broken and fights tooth and nail. Kag X Sessh
1. Auction

Kagome was carted to a village in the Western lands, one of the more wealthy ones. She was made to stand on a wooden platform with three other slaves in the marketplace.

The slavers started ringing a bell, and many people crowded the little clearing that accompanied the platform. "Slave auction! Slave auction!" hollered the man. "Fresh slaves from neighboring villages! Strong and healthy, they are just what you need to make your house prosperous!"

He walked over to the slaves, and pointed at them in turn. "This ox of a man was found on the road. Just look at those muscles! He'll be great as a laborer! This girl was found alone in a raided village, poor thing. Her parents were dead, so we kindly took her in."

The audience chuckled appreciatively. The man turned to Kagome. "Companion of a half-demon, monk, demon slayer, fox demon, and two-tailed cat, she's a traveler, used to hard work! Long legs and a rather lovely outfit, if I do say so myself!"

The people laughed, and there were a couple of whistles.

He turned to the last slave, a pretty girl with soft brown hair and dark chestnut eyes. "She's a slave born, so she knows her place alright! Not much for muscle work, but she knows manners and how to serve wine! Now, any bids for the man?"

The auction continued, and the man and orphan were taken. It was Kagome's turn.

"I bid a silver!" yelled a man with yellow teeth and a balding head. He held a whip loosely by his side.

"I bid a silver and two coppers!" It was another man dressed in fine silks.

"Two silvers!" Yellow Teeth shouted.

"Three silvers!" Rich Dude countered.

Kagome watched, not wanting to go with any of them. Her hands were tied, and so were her legs...Was there any way out of this situation?

* * *

**The deeper we get into the story, the better! Review, follow, and fave please!**


	2. Miko

Sesshomaru was browsing the silks in a store, fingering the different fabrics and designs. He could only have the best for Rin, after all. He picked a light pink silk with cherry blossoms scattered across it as if blown by a wind. Choosing a red silk sash to go with it, Sesshomaru turned to the store owner.

"That will be three gold pieces, my lord," said the lady, bowing. Sesshomaru paid for the fabric and left the store. As a breeze blew in his direction, he recognized a scent. A scent that had no reason to be here.

He started walking closely in the direction of the smell, when he realized that he was heading toward the slave auction. Sesshomaru had no wish to see the practice, but he was curious.

Where the miko was, his hanyou half-brother was, and where Inuyasha was, the Tetsusaiga was there.

He neared the auction and froze when his ears picked out what the man was saying. "Companion of a half-demon, monk, demon slayer, fox demon, and two-tailed cat, she's a traveler, used to hard work! Long legs and a rather lovely outfit, if I do say so myself!"

Was the miko part of the auction? What was his idiot half-brother thinking?

Sesshomaru sped toward the slave market. He had to know what was going on.

* * *

**Ooh, hi there, Foofy! Decided to join the party? Great! Now, get these nice readers to review for me, okay? Thanks, Maru-chan-chan! XD**


	3. Youki

The battle for Kagome was still raging. It had gone up steeply.

"Ten silvers!" yelled Yellow Tooth.

"Fifteen silvers!" shouted the nobleman.

The slaver was very surprised and pleased too. He had known that the girl had potential, but he didn't know that she would be _this_ popular! The other slaves had sold for a maximum of one silver. Now the girl was raking him in at least fifteen! Twenty, now.

The nobleman growled at his opponent. "Thirty silvers."

"One gold!" That was fifty silvers. "Back off, Shigeki-san!"

"I'm a noble, you are but a whore house owner! A gold and twenty-five silvers!"

"Two golds," snarled Yellow Tooth.

He owned a whore house? Kagome was going to be sick. Suddenly she was praying that the noble would get her. "How come these men want me so bad?" she mumbled.

The slaver glanced at her. "Because they can tell you're a miko," he said bluntly. "Miko aren't too common around these parts."

Her skin crawled. "Oh. But how do they know?"

"All miko have an aura around them, and it is especially strong when the said miko is distressed."

Kagome shivered. "Got that right." She had given up trying to tell these people that they had no right to sell her off a long time ago.

Suddenly, her reiki felt a prescence that held so much youki that it made her hair stand on end. A chill crept down her back.

"Ten golds," said a deep voice smoothly.

Oh Kami, no...

Sesshomaru.


	4. Why

**Thank you, reviewer, for brining up a good point about how Kagome got to be this way. Well, the story will be revealed in the next chapters! Thanks for reviewing!**

* * *

Sesshomaru had no idea why he was willing to go to such lengths for the miko. Perhaps because he wanted to hold her hostage, to exhange her for the Tetsusaiga. Maybe to gloat over Inuyasha, that he had his precious miko that he loved so much.

The Lord of the West saw the miko's reaction to his bid. She promptly turned white, then a fiery red, then white again. Vaguely amused, Sesshomaru realized that the entire marketplace had gone silent.

He cursed silently. He had sworn never to take up the practice of slavery, and taken great caution to make sure everyone knew about it. And now here he was, bidding for a miko in front of everybody!

"My...my lord," stammered the filthy whore house keeper. The slaver and noble were equally shocked. The second slaver, who had not made a peep during this entire time, spoke up.

"Ten gold pieces," he bellowed, and the sound rang nice and clear throughout the place. "Anyone want to try better? Going once...going twice...Bid Validated!" He yanked on the rope that led to the miko's wrists and yanked her down. He dragged the unwilling wench over to Sesshomaru. Offering the rope to the Lord with a bow, the slaver backed away.

Grabbing the rope loosely, he locked eyes with the miko. She searched his gaze with dusky blue irises.

"Why, Sesshomaru?"


	5. Lord

His eyes narrowed at her familiarity. The spectators gasped in horror, certain that he would slice her open from head to toe.

"It's _Lord_ to you."

"I don't care about that, _Sesshomaru_," she retorted, placing extra stress on his name. The audience gasped even louder. "Tell me what you're doing in this hunk of junk of a village. Looking for _slaves _to do your bidding around your _fancy-pantsy_ palace?"

Sesshomaru couldn't let this pass any longer. He let his youki rise, trying to dominate her. The miko smirked and let her reiki surge forward, crashing against his youki. Pink pushed against blue, and Sesshomaru frowned slightly. He was stronger, but only by a bit, and by the time he had her subdued, his storage of youki would be dangerously low.

He decided to cheat in a way. He raised a claw-tipped hand and brought it down hard on the concentrating miko's head. She yelped a little with the pain, and her reiki wavered. That was enough for him to crash down on her powers with his own. She struggled both mentally and physically, trying to pull her rope out of his grasp.

With his youki and free hand, Sesshomaru quickly brought an end to both efforts.

* * *

**How are you guys liking it so far? I think it's pretty good! Review me one, okay?**


	6. Submit

Kagome gritted her teeth as she was knocked to the ground by the demon lord's hand. She tried to raise her reiki, but his youki pushed down on it firmly, refusing to relent. Sesshomaru grabbed her by the upper arm and held her up.

"Submit," he growled.

"Never, you arrogant bastard," she snarled, enjoying the horror that swept through their audience. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed dangerously, and letting go of her rope, he tossed her like a rag doll into the trunk of a tree.

_Ow ow ow..._

Kagome opened her eyes to see him standing over her, body blocking out the sun, so all she saw was a menacing silhouette.

"Get up," Sesshomaru commanded.

"You'll have to...make me..." she managed to get out.

He took hold of the front of her shirt and slammed her against the tree, doing funny things to her vision. "Submit."

All she could do was glare at him with rapidly blinking eyes. Kagome shook her head. _Stay awake, stay awake, stay awake... _She began to give in to the darkness, but a sharp pain in her scalp brought her back.

Sesshomaru had grabbed a chunk of her dark hair. "Submit," he demanded again. "We are not leaving until you do so."

Kagome hated to give him what he wanted, so she gave him a mixed version. She had read in a book back in the future about how dogs showed their submission. Hopefully, inu youkai did it the same way. She bared her throat, submitting in the inu way, but muttered very loudly, "Mr. Icicle-shoved-up-his-butt," before she finally passed out.


	7. Mate

**Thanks to one of my reviewers for asking how Kagome knew how to submit. I fixed it by saying she had read a book about it back in her time. If you guys see any other mistakes like that, let me know! And thanks one last time!**

* * *

Sesshomaru gazed triumphantly down at the miko. He had made her submit. He could stand a few insults for that. He couldn't wait to rub it in his half-brother's face. _Inuyasha, I believe I have something of yours._ It would be one of the best moments of his life.

* * *

The Lady of the West fidgeted frustratedly. "We need to find my son a mate," she said loudly. "It's time for him to produce a heir. In this age of wars, no one knows when one may fall."

An idea occurred to her. She called for her page, and he came running. "Send out invitations to the other Lords," she ordered. "Invite them to a ball here, at the Western Palace, and tell them to bring their unwed ladies. Also, post invitations in youkai villages all over the West. Inform them that we are looking for the heir of the West."

She chuckled. "That should bring the little wenches running."

* * *

Sesshomaru was at a loss. He didn't know what to do with the miko. He could hardly lug her around, kicking and screaming, until he encountered the half-breed and his pack. And he refused to let her wear this..._whore's outfit_ she was sporting. His eyes went to the fabric he had gotten for Rin. It would do for the wench.

He just hoped that there was enough cloth for her, as he had gotten the lengths for a young girl, not a young woman.


	8. Where the Hell

Inuyasha was in a rage. "Where the hell is Kagome?!"

"Calm down Inuyasha," said Miroku. "Thinking clearly is the best way to track her down. Now, when's the time you saw her last?"

"When you were talking to the village headman about the demon that is _supposedly_ in his house," Sango replied.

"It is safe to think that she is still in the village. She would have no reasons to travel further."

"Why would she leave anyways?" asked Shippo.

Miroku winced. "I believe she was a tad bit angry at my...method of procuring our comfort."

"Well, I'm going to find her, and then make sure she doesn't run off again!" Inuyasha slammed opened the door and ran outside.

* * *

The group met back at the inn. Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shipo all wore dejected looks. "Well, Inuyasha is the nose of our group, and he could pick up Kagome's scent from anywhere," Miroku offered half-heartedly.

The door slid open, and Inuyasha poked his head in. "I picked up her scent!" he said excitedly. "It leads away from the village. Come on!"


	9. Reiki

Kagome woke up on a futon. She snuggled deeper into the warmth until she remembered what had happened. She bolted straight up. Where was Sesshomaru?

Looking around, she realized that there was a bed next to her futon, but it was empty.

"You are awake."

Jumping, Kagome whirled around to see Sesshomaru leaning against the wall. From the look of it, he had been here a while. "Where am I?"

"The Western Palace."

Kagome tried to put on a sugary act. She knew that Sesshomaru could beat her in a fight, so she had to talk her way out of this. "I'm sorry for the act yesterday, Sesshomaru-sama."

He watched her with narrowed eyes. This was an act, couldn't she see that he knew that? But for his humor, he let her go on.

"See here, my lord, I was taken from my friends in the dead of night, and they had no right to sell me off as a slave. So could you please let me go so that I can look for Inuyasha, where I belong, my lord?" She tried her puppy eyes on him.

Sesshomaru let out an inner snort at her fake words. With his usual mask of indifference, he said, "You belong to this Sesshomaru now."

"But my lord, I-"

"This Sesshomaru has paid for you, and you are now my slave."

Kagome dropped her act and attacked with her reiki. "You people are no better than cavemen!" she yelled. "Slavery is so over! Says who you get to put your filthy hands on a person just because she got kidnapped? No one owns me!"

She stopped when she had an odd feeling. Her reiki was...gone?

Sesshomaru smirked at the look on her face. "I had a skilled miko take away your powers." He twirled a little glass globe on a chain. It glowed faintly pink, and Kagome realized that it contained her reiki.

"Give that back!" she screamed, and grabbed for the glass ball.

Sesshomaru closed his fist around the orb and watched in amusement as the miko scrabbled at it with her fingers. When she dug her teeth into his arm though, she had gone too far. Sesshomaru shook her off and she landed on the bed, winded.

"You will spend some time in the dungeons until you learn how to behave toward your new master," he said coldly, and gripping her arm, escorted her out of his chambers.


	10. Story of Our Lives

Okay, maybe she _had_ gone a little bit over the line with her biting him, but did she really deserve _this? _

She was chained to the wall with no food or water, along with three other youkai.

"What's your story?" rasped a snake youkai. "A female human like you."

"I was kidnapped and sold into slavery and then Fluff-brain stuffed my reiki in a glass ball so I bit him and then he stuffed me down here," Kagome said angrily.

The neko youkai yowled. "You _bit_ Lord Sesshomaru?"

"He started it!" She defended herself.

The wolf youkai eyed her. "Hey, is that you, sister Kagome?"

"Yeah...?"

"I'm from Koga's Tribe. We were looting one of the mutt's villages, and I was the one unlucky enough to be caught. I'll probably be killed by dawn."

"What? Koga said he wouldn't raid human villages anymore," Kagome said sharply.

"It was a youkai village," explained the wolf demon. She didn't know him personally.

"I was the human brat's nanny until Rin pulled my tail and I cuffed her. Very lightly, too!" meowed the neko youkai.

"I'm a spy for another lord," admitted the snake youkai. "They're going to torture me to find out who."

Kagome frowned. "Oh, that's horrible! I'll have to talk to Sesshomaru about you guys. Not one of you really deserve to be here. The snake and wolf were following orders from their leaders, and the cat was defending herself. Me too," she added in an afterthought.


	11. Monster

Kagome didn't know how long they were in there, but the jailer only gave her enough water to barely stay alive. One by one the other prisoners were taken away.

None returned.

Alone, in the darkness, starving and thirsty, immobilized, Kagome realized his plan. Sesshomaru was going to try to break her, make her his slave, both in body and mind.

Ha!

She would never let that happen. And Inuyasha would come for her.

She knew he would.

* * *

The door creaked open just when Kagome was about to scream of boredom. A tall figure stood, outlined by the torches in the hallway. His face was obscured, but his hair was long and silver, which was all Kagome needed.

"Sessh-Sesshomaru..." she coughed out. She glared into where she thought her eyes might be. "Come to gloat?"

He didn't answer. The Lord of the West simply began unlocking her chains. They held her up and pinned against the wall, so when he released her, she fell to the ground.

"Get up."

Kagome wouldn't allow him the satisfaction of seeing her fail to even rise. She forced herself to her feet and gazed directly into his eyes.

_Monster_, she thought.


	12. tryin' 2 b a perv without much success

Sesshomaru guided her to a private hot spring right inside his palace. "Wash yourself," he said curtly, and walked out. He visited the seamstress. "Is the kimono ready?" he asked impatiently.

"Yes, my lord," she said with a bow, and offered him the silk kimono.

"Hn." If only the miko would treat him with such respect, they would get along much better.

* * *

Kagome finished up her bathing and just sat there, staring into space. By now, Inuyashah would have definitely started searching for her. He would have picked up her scent and would no doubtedly be headed here! She cheered up immediately.

Standing just outside the door, Sesshomaru smelled the change in the miko's temperament. He wondered what made her so happy, but then he realized who it was bound to be.

Inuyasha.

Oh yes. Inuyasha would come here in search of his missing miko and Sesshomaru would parade her in front of his half-brother. There wasn't much the miko, the hanyou, or their friends could do about it.

He slid open the door and heard her eep. _She is my slave_, he thought. _I have every right to gaze upon her body_. Even so, his conscience wouldn't let him. Instead, he just dropped the finished kimono inside and left.


	13. Collared

Kagome heard the door sliding open and yelped, submerging herself completely in the water. She waited for as long as she could stand, and then got up. Sesshomaru was gone, and he had left a rather beautiful kimono on the floor for her.

She slipped out of the hot water and toweled herself down, and then slid on the kimono. The fine silk made her feel light and airy.

When she emerged from the hot spring, Sesshomaru was waiting for her. "Put this on," he said icily, and held out a collar made of some weird leather.

"Oooh no I won't," Kagome said, backing away quickly. "I'm not some dog or cat to be collared. I, sir, am a free mik-"

Sesshomaru pinned her to the floor, his body covering hers. With his claws, he looped the leather aruond her neck and buckled it down. He let her up and watched coldly as she tried to remove it without success. "What is this thing?"

"It is a symbol of your bond to me and cannot be removed by anyone except this Sesshomaru."

"Take it off, take it off!" she yelled furiously. "I told you, I'm not an animal!"

"You're not," he agreed. "You're my slave."


	14. Satisfaction

Kagome lay in her futon, furiously fingering her new 'collar.' How dare he? First he _buys_ her, then he _collars_ her? Just wait until she had her reiki powers back.

If she was right, Sesshomaru was collecting all her reiki as her body produced it, so she figured that once the glass globe was broken, all her reiki would pour back into her, making her unstoppable. She would purify that arrogant icicle into cinders!

Sesshomaru relaxed on his bed, enjoying the panting of the miko as she obviously plotted on how to kill him. The crescent moon charm on the collar branded her as his, and there was an enchantment on the collar. If Sesshomaru wished so, the leather would tighten around her throat, only loosening when the master said so.

It had been rather costly, but with an extra ca-ching it had been made quickly.

Now the miko belonged to him whole-heartedly. She could not escape. Sesshomaru felt a deep rush of satisfaction.


	15. I'll Find You

Inuyasha followed the scent for several days. They followed the trail and paused before the Western border.

"Are you sure we should go there?" asked Miroku. "That is your brother's lands, Inuyasha. The moment we set foot inside the border, he will know."

"I don't care. I just want Kagome back. We can't hunt for the jewel shards unless she's here, remember?" Inuyasha stepped over the border deliberately slowly and waved his companions on. "Hurry up!"

* * *

Kagome's scent got fainter and fainter as they reached a village. "She's not here anymore," said Inuyasha, deeply distressed.

"We can still ask the people here if they have seen her," soothed Sango. "Don't worry. We'll find her."

* * *

"Hey, have you seen a girl with black hair and blue eyes around here?" Inuyasha yelled loudly.

Shippo stifled a laugh. "Inuyasha you idiot, that describes just about every girl here, except maybe the blue eyes," he giggled.

Inuyasah huffed and revised his question. "I'm looking for a girl dressed really weirdly in really short green skirt," he tried again, and this time he had more luck. A woman with two children behind her said, "Oh, she was here a week or so ago."

"Tell me, good woman, where is she now?" Miroku asked eagerly. The woman's eyes darted from stranger to stranger. "I'd better not say," she mumbled, and hurried away.

The group had no more luck that afternoon. The villagers seemed to know where Kagome had gone, but they were too frightened.

Inuyasha punched a hole through the trunk of a tree. "Dammit! I'll find you, Kagome!"


	16. Wake-up Routine

"Get up, wench."

The command roused her from sleep, and Kagome opened her eyes blearily. "What?"

Sesshomaru was standing over her, amber eyes frosty. "You heard this Sesshomaru. Get up."

Groaning, Kagome flipped over and buried her face in her blanket.

Narrowing his eyes, Sesshomaru reached down and yanked off the blanket. Kagome wailed and scrabbled for her lost treasure. "Give it back! It's so cold in here!" When he didn't reply, she snuggled down further into the futon, trying to ignore the chill.

Next, Sesshomaru pulled out the futon from under her, and Kagome landed on the fur-covered floor. "Ooooohh," she said, excited, and buried her face into his pelts. The once-miko amused him with her antics, but he really had to leave, so he said, "Get up, slave. This is my last warning."

Kagome ignored him, so Sesshmaru concentrated on making her collar tighten. Immediately, Kagome's eyes shot open wide. Something was choking her! Coughing, she clawed at her collar. _What the...?!_

"Get up," Sesshomaru repeated coldly. Kagome sat up, and the pressure loosened. She glared at the inu taiyoukai and rose shakily. "Mongrel," she muttered, and yelped when a clawed hand shot out and knocked her back onto the floor with fingers wrapped around her neck. "All right, all right! I'm sorry!" she spat, and was allowed up.

"Come," he commanded. "This Sesshomaru will be going on a mission, and you are to accompany me."


	17. OCD

"Where are we going, and why?" Kagome asked for the billionth time. Sesshomaru didn't answer, so she crossed her arms and sat down on the grass. "I'm not moving another inch on my own until you answer my question!"

The Western Lord thew her a pissed-off glare, and then said curtly, "A youkai has been destroying my villages. I am going to kill it."

"Well, why did I have to come?"

"This Sesshomaru does not trust you in his castle without him there."

Kagome huffed. "I should be flattered, but honestly I don't have my miko powers anymore, _cough cough_," she said meaningfully. "So I don't know what would make me a threat to your precious palace. You're just a freak who has OCD. Like, ten times."

"Oh-si-di?"

"It stands for Obsessive Compulsice Disorder, but you take it to a whole new level, so I'm calling it Over Control Disease," Kagome snapped. "You have to have everything your way or no way. Either you get your way or you kill everyone. That's it, isn't it?"

Sesshomaru growled. "The truth is that youkai are harder to manage and control than humans. One must be harsh when dealing with the."

"Oh, poo!" Kagome scoffed. "Your excuse for being a pinheaded prick!"

"Get up or must this Sesshomaru drag you there by the hair?"


	18. Escapade

Kagome was excited. They were getting near the well! This was the perfect opportunity to bolt! She just needed to steer them closer. "Sesshomaru, I have to pee," she complained loudly.

Sesshomaru's eyes darted to his slave. "You will hold it in."

His patience was wearing thin. He had half the resolve to fling the miko back where she belonged, in this village. He'd dust his hands and walk off happily. But if he wanted the Tetsusaiga, he'd have to put up with her insolence for just a bit longer. He sighed at the prospect.

"What do you think I've been doing for the last couple of hours? I'm warning you, brat, if you don't let me take a potty break soon, I'm gonna pee my fancy little kimono. I feel like a full water balloon!"

Sesshomaru's eyebrow twitched in annoyance, and he decided he would ignore the insult, as he knew the miko would not learn from a punishment. "Fine then. Go," he practically spat out.

_Score!_ Kagome scurried away happily in the direction of the well, and Sesshomaru followed her. Going behind a bush, she crouched down and let loose. She really had to pee, but not as much as she had let him think. _The smell oughta satisfy him,_ she thought smugly, and got up. "I'm gonna check out this well," she said loudly.

"You will not, slave," Sesshomaru said sharply. Kagome sneered, "Will too. It'll only take a minute."

Silently he watched her as she approached the well. Something wasn't right here. He started forward but was too late; the miko flung herself down the well.

His eyes widened in fury and shock and Sesshomaru rushed to the opening of the well.

The miko was gone.

* * *

**Woo-hoo, Kaggy! Good one! Now Sesshy can't get at you...or _can_ he? Mwahaha...**


	19. I Hate You

Kagome felt relieved as the blue light of the portal started swirling around her. She felt the familiar feelings of time travel, and when the mist subsided, she was back in her own time.

She climbed up from her well and saw the yellow backpack she had forgotten here the last time she had time traveled. Kagome shook her head and perched it on the rim of the well. When Inuyasha got it in his thick skull to check here, she would jump up and follow him down the well, stopping only to tug the pack along with her.

Kagome smiled at the image and started walking away when her collar started tightening. _Oh crap, I forgot about the stupid leather thingy! How come it still works when its master lived five hundred years ago?_

She dropped to her knees and tried to scream, but the collar mashed her windpipe. _Help!_ She prayed that her mom or brother or grandfather would come into the shrine, but of course no one came.

Kagome crawled forward and scrabbled at the door, but her fingers slipped. _I need to get back to the Feudal Era!_ she thought, but her head was starting to get very hazy. As her thoughts became foggy, only one was emblazoned into her brain;

_I hate you, Sesshomaru._


	20. Follow You to the Ends of the Earth

Sesshomaru gazed down into the well furiously. How dare the miko dishonor him? Potty break indeed! More like a _jail_ break! He narrowed his golden eyes and flexed his claws.

If the miko could go wherever she had gone, then so could Sesshomaru.

He hopped up and perched on the rim of the well. At last he would see for himself where the miko went all these years she had hunted for the Jewel.

Sesshomaru jumped in, mokomoko trailing behind him like a faithful, fluffy pet snake. His eyes widened momentarily as blue light began to swirl around him. What was this sorcery?

He was annoyed with himself for not doing this sooner, but he was here now, wasn't he?

As the mist cleared away, Sesshomaru realized that he was not in his own world.

* * *

**You know, I've always wondered; since Sesshy is Inu's brother, could he travel through the well? Could _anyone_ travel through the well as long as Kagome or Inu held their hands? And what the hell happened to all those youkai in 500 years? I don't want to think about Sesshy dying.**

**I refuse to!**


	21. Domination

Sesshomaru took a deep breath, and instantly strange smells flooded his senses. Something very delicious was laced through the air, but a... _fogginess_ of some sort was clouding everything up. It smelled very nasty._  
_

He jumped out of the well and saw the miko sprawled on the ground at his feet. Her face was a sickly color and she was motionless.

Sesshomaru frowned. She wasn't dead, was she? That would be terribly inconvenient. He crouched and felt her pulse. She was alive, but just barely. The Lord of the West loosed the collar, and she immediately relaxed, the her face turning that pale porcelain color again.

He felt a rush of satisfaction. Casting a glance about, he realized he was in a very small building. Some steps led to a door, and Sesshomaru was itching to investigate.

He decided to come back later and conquer this strange land and claim it as part of the West.

For now, he would have to be content with recapturing the stubborn miko. Sesshomaru tucked her under one arm and jumped back down the well.

As the now-familiar blue light flooded over him, Sesshomaru felt very pleased at this discovery. This would indeed be a fine land to rule.

The miko would be unable to escape his grasp if he dominated both worlds.

His beast purred at such a thought, and frowning, Sesshomaru shushed his inner soul.


	22. Maru-kun

When Kagome finally broke through the haze swirling through her mind, she woke up to a very familiar place.

Dungeon.

She sighed. _Does that guy know no creativity?_ she scoffed. _This is the second time...wow...I guess he's not as smart as he thinks he is..._

This time, she was alone, but there were fresh blood puddles on the floor. She shivered. "I swear, he added that on purpose," she said out loud.

Sesshomaru, in fact, hadn't. The last prisoner had chomped almost through his wrist in his efforts to escape his cuff. He had failed, as just as he slid his hand out of the ring of metal, the guards had arrived to take him to be executed.

Kagome yawned calmly. "Sorta relaxing, eh?" she muttered. "At least I don't have to see his ugly mug here."

* * *

When Sesshomaru came and released her, Kagome dropped to the ground and landed on her feet prefectly like a gymnast.

"You know who you remind me of, Maru-san?" she asked very loudly, and she could see several guards peeking into the cell behind Sesshomaru's back.

His eyes narrowed. "Oh?"

She turned around and bent over, laughing.

She could hear the guards trying to muffle their snickers, but failing miserably. They broke into loud and raucous laughter.

Kagome turned back around and was treated to a furious glare. His amber eyes smoldered with fury. The guards' laughter cut off abruptly.

She smirked. "What's the matter, Maru-kun?"

Sesshomaru fisted his hands and spun around, stalking out of the cell. Hooting with glee, Kagome followed.


	23. Stalling

"You will be taking care of Rin," said Sesshomaru coldly. "Prepare."

"Yeah, yeah," Kagome yawned. "In a couple." She stretched languidly.

"Get up."

Knowing what would be coming next, Kagome got up rather hurriedly. "Quit watching me!" she snapped heatedly.

"Hn." Sesshomaru fixed his unwavering golden eyes on her even more firmly, as if to mock her.

* * *

Kagome did her hair in a braid, since that would take the longest to do. Plus, she knew that would piss off Sesshomaru. She made sure to make it a fishtail, too, the braid that took the longest to do, as far as Kagome knew.

She coiled the simple, yet intricate-looking braid over her right shoulder, smiling as she carefully made each strand very tiny, to look even better- and take longer.

At last she was finished, after a good twenty minutes. "All done," Kagome announced with a grin. "Now- oops!" she dropped the hair ribbon and the fishtail unraveled partly. Laughing, she fixed the braid and tied it tightly.

"Move, Fluffy-kun, and wipe that exasperated scowl off your face while you're at it."

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes for perhaps the first time in centuries. How had Inuyasha dealt with her antics for so long?


	24. Bonding Time

Kagome felt her lips lift into a smile involuntarily as she approached the little girl. "Hi Rin," she greeted. "I'm Kagome."

"Lady Kagome!" announced Rin happily.

They were sitting in a flower field, which was just _part_ of Sesshomaru's gardners, he assured her. Kagome was awed by the sheer abundance of beautiful blossoms. Sakura trees dotted the field at strategic locations, providing shade for flowers that needed it to flourish, and for the occasional visitor.

"How did you get your hair like that?" asked Rin curiously. Kagome fingered her fishtail and laughed. She had made the strands very fine to take longer, but it also served to make it look like her hair was split in two and stuck together with some sort of glue.

"It's a special kind of braid called a fishtail," she answered with a bright smile.

"Could...could Lady Kagome braid Rin's hair like that?" the girl asked a little tentatively.

Kagome grinned wider. "Of course! Sit down, you!"

Giggling, Rin plopped down in front of Kagome. Humming, the older girl took out her little ponytail ad set aside the hairband for later. Carefully, painstakingly, Kagome made a french braid for each side of her head, and then split Rin's hair into two, and then began braiding. There was a pile of tiny light pink and pale blue flowers with a bit of their stems attached, and she wove it into the chestnut hair as she went.

When she was finished, Kagome picked up the hairband and tied the braid securely. The band today was black, which was perfect for Kagome's needs. "Wait here," she said, and went off to get a few things.

When she came back, she had strands of green vines. The miko wrapped it around the hairband, finishing it off with tucking a couple of mini rosettes into the loops. Because the hairband was black, it blended with Rin's hair and made the braid look as if it were loosely tied with rosebud vines. The flowers in her hair set off the gleam.

Rin's kimino, a beautiful charcoal gray silk, was embroidered with pink and blue blossoms, and the sash was a deep forest green.

When Kagome was done, Rin hugged her. "Thank you, Lady Kagome!" chirped the young girl, and immediately ran off. She came back some time later with a flower crown for Kagome, and she accepted it graciously, putting it in her hair.

_Hmm. Sesshomaru's not a complete idiot if he keeps Rin around, _thought Kagome.

* * *

**Just a little girl bonding time... ㅎㅠᇂ That's a bucktoothed kitty!**


	25. Conversation

Sesshomaru watched as the two humans played. He had only been slightly surprised when Rin took to the miko so well. After all, he had seen the wench play mother to the little kitsune countless times.

**She has excellent mother** **skills,** remarked a voice at the deepest recess of his mind.

_Hn. After dealing with the immature hanyou and fox child, she would have much experience._

**Rin clearly accepts her as part of her life now.**

_She is entirely too trusting._

**Don't you trust the miko?**

Sesshomaru scoffed inwardly at his beast's thinking. _She tried to run from me back to her home._

**Can you blame her? She's enslaved, then bought by _you_ of all people, and then you slap a collar on her and stick her in the dungeons twice. No wonder she mooned* you. **His beast snickered at the memory. **You remind her of her bottom indeed...You don't smell nearly as fragrant, though.**

Sesshomaru seethed silently. Outwardly, his mask showed no hint of his inner turmoil. _She compared this Sesshomaru to her rear end. I should have her whipped for that._

**Don't you think that if you could have, you would have?** said his beast snidely. **I didn't let you then, and I won't let you now, at least while she holds my interest still.**

_You will lose interest in her soon enough, _Sesshomaru sneered loftily, and ended the conversation.

* * *

**I know there was some confusion about Ch. 22, so...**

***Mooning: when you flash your butt in front of someone**


	26. The Wonders of Chocolate

Sesshomaru eyed the yellow monster from across the room, then swiftly came forward and picked it up by one of its straps. _Curious belongings the miko has_, he mused, and left the room.

* * *

Kagome looked up, surprised, when her backpack landed on the ground next to her. "How'd you get that?"

"This Sesshomaru took it from your slavers."

"Oh." Kagome brightened and opened the bag, taking out a bar of chocolate. Rin, seated next to her, leaned forward.

"What's that, Lady Kagome?" she asked curiously.

"It's chocolate. Taste!" She broke off a chunk and offered it to the little girl. Sesshomar narrowed his eyes. Was she trying to poison the child? He would have a taste, since poisons didn't work on him. He would be able to tell if it was a poison.

"Uh, you better not," Kagome said, reading Sesshomaru's thoughts. "Chocolate's bad for, um, _dogs_, and you know, seeing as how you're an inuyoukai..."

He sensed no malevolence in the wench's actions, and stood back. Rin seemed to enjoy the treat very much, so he let the matter go.

* * *

"Hey what do you know?" Kagome said surprisedly. "I have some white chocolate in here!" She pulled out a cookies 'n craem Hershey mini bar. "White chocolate, Maru-kun, is somewhat safe for dogs, and since you're a taiyoukai, I think it's okay..."

Sesshomaru plucked the bar from the miko's hand and sniffed. Sweetness. He frowned at the covering. _I will not ask this impudent miko how to remove it... _He fiddled with it, scraping it with is claws in his frustration. Scowling, he turned to the miko.

"Open it."

Kagome smirked, she had been watching his face change from indifference to interest to suspicion to surprise to frustration and finally to resignation. She opened the wrapper for him, and he took the chocolate sullenly and popped it in his mouth.

His eyes widened, and Kagome fought back a laugh. He looked so funny just standing there looking shocked with a Hershey bar sticking out of his mouth. _I should totally put that on YouTube_, she thought. _Dog demon tastes chocolate for the first time_.


	27. Splits and Cartwheels

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at the offending scrap of paper.

_How dare she..._

**To my favorite son with heaps of love,**

**My dear Sesshomaru, your loving mother has taken the care to arrange a ball with the greatest Lords and Ladies. They will arrive at the castle at sunset. Entertain them, darling, for I know you have excellent flexibilty. Perhaps a few splits, maybe a cartwheel? You would look just so adorable!**

**Now, I expect to see a wench on your arm at the ball.**

**I am expecting word of your Mating, Sesshomaru. Choose within this moon cycle, my son. The legacy of the West must go on.**

**Your faithfully loving mother dearest,**

**Sasume, Lady of the West**

He crumpled up the scroll and dissolved it with his poison claws. Splits? Cartwheels? Was she mad? The last time he hand performed such for guests was when he was a hundred years old. He knew he could still do splits and cartwheels, he even did them from time to time, to keep up his fitness, but his fool mother was being ridiculous.

And mating?

He would never mate! The very idea of tying himself to a weak, money and power-lusting youkai disgusted him. Sesshomaru, Lord of the West, would not do such a thing! But then, the sooner he mated, the sooner the female would take his mother's throne...

He was starting to like the idea.


	28. On My Arm

_She wants a wench on my arm at the ball?_ Sesshomaru pondered the thought. _This Sesshomaru will not stoop to such things. Who does my mother think I am?_

He closed his eyes, imagining the demonesses who would be at the ball; clingy, power-thirsty females who had no interest in him as himself.

Sesshomaru opened his eyes, a plan forming in his head. _I will force a demoness onto my arm for the ball and then dispose of her as soon as it is over...it ought to please Mother._

If the demoness was a Lady of some sort, though, it could start a war, or at the very least political struggles. He sighed. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

The miko was straightforward, not scheming like the female youkai. With her, you always knew where you stood; she gave you no sugarcoatings nor wanted any.

The miko...the miko...the miko!

He would take the miko on his arm, and if anyone asked, she would just be a temporary distraction...Sesshomaru smirked. She would not like that. But did it really matter how she felt?

_No_, he told himself, and got up.

* * *

**I just couldn't figure out how to word this stupid chapter, dammit! I would have made it longer, but I have a stomachache and I really wanted to update...ugh...Anyways, expect some longer chapters in the future!**


	29. Kagome, Submit Girl!

"I will not!" exploded Kagome. "What am I, your plaything? I refuse, I absolutely _refuse _to even _pretend_ to be your one-night stand or something, I don't know!"

"You do not have a choice," Sesshomaru said flatly, secretly pleased at the miko's furious reaction. Indeed you knew exactly how she was feeling before even _she_ knew. Even when she tried to hide it, she was an open scroll.

"I am a living, breathing being," she hissed. "How many times do I have to say this? You do not control me!"

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "Hn?"

"Y-yeah..." she trailed off, not liking where this was going.

"You could obey this Sesshomaru willingly, or I could have that collar charmed to react to a certain word, much like the half-breed's beads of subjugation." He smiled coldly.

Kagome reddened. "You wouldn't dare...!"

"Are you challenging this Sesshomaru?"

The miko frowned. "That sort of stuff only works on youkai, so bring on your worst!"

"Very well." Sesshomaru pulled out her reiki globe from inside his robes. Twirling it lightly between his fingers, he twisted the chain. A thin beam of pink shot out, and he maneuvered it until it rested on the crescent moon. The charm glowed bright pink, then purple, then indigo blue. Then the light subsided.

Kagome blinked and opened her mouth to say something, but Sesshomaru beat her to it.

"Submit," he said in a low voice, golden eyes boring into blue.

She yelped when her chin was jerked to the side and down, exposing her neck. Her arms were wrenched to extend out partially from her sides. She found that she couldn't move at all. Finally after several long seconds she began to get feeling back into her limbs. She prepared to kick him _down there_ as soon as she could, and regaining control of her mouth, prepared to cuss him out.

Sesshomaru smirked smugly.

"Why you son of- "

"Submit."

"_Rrrgh!"_


	30. You Have a MOM?

Kagome grumbled quietly as she was dressed for the ball.

"Ow! That hurts!" she complained as they tugged on her hair to tuck it into an elaborate bun. Securing the hairdo with jade pins made her scowl deeply. "I'm not a dress-up doll," she muttered darkly.

The servants ignored her and instead wrapped her up in a three-layer kimono. The outer layer was a dark sapphire blue with misty blue flower petals embroidered in glistening thread at regular intervals. The trim was a dusky orange silk decorated with golden butterflies. The obi was a pale sky blue.

It made her sweat like she was taking an exam she hadn't studied for.

Kagome looked up when footsteps sounded at the door. Sesshomaru. "What, come to gloat?" she sneered.

The taiyoukai raised his eyebrows. "The ball will start in less than an hour. You need to get into position."

"Yeah well why should I?" she argued, forgetting for a moment about her collar.

Sesshomaru's lips curled into an icy smirk. "Submit," he said smoothly.

"You little as- "

"Submit. Submit. Submit."

* * *

Kagome sensed the demonesses eyeing her with hatred. It made her feel uneasy, but she held her head up and marched to the front of the room, her fingertips barely grazing Sesshomaru's arm.

A regal female inutaiyoukai presided over the room with an imperial air.

"Sesshomaru, who is this human?"

"She came on my arm, is that not enough, mother?" he said stiffly. Kagome gasped.

"That's your mom? You _have _a mom?" Somehow she had always pictured Sesshomaru as just _being_. Popping into existence fully grown. She couldn't imagine him as a baby, sucking a pacifier and waving a rattle.

_No, just no._

Sesshomaru's mother appraised her coldly. "Hm. Something tells me you two are not lovers."

He shrugged. "You said to bring someone on my arm. You never said this Sesshomaru had to be her lover."

"True, true," conceded the demoness. "Next time, I shall set more precise limits. For now though, you have passed my test."

Sesshomaru bowed curtly and spun around. He stalked away, dragging a loudly complaining miko behind him.


	31. Kitsune Underlord Natsu

Sesshomaru released Kagome after a while, and she wandered away.

One of the lords called her over, and she walked to him reluctantly.

He had dark brown hair with golden streaks and had...three dark brown tails tipped with gold? His eyes were a very familiar bright green...

"Kitsune! You're a kitsune!" she shouted excitedly. "That is so cool!"

The lord smiled, showing his pointy fangs. "Yes. I am Underlord Natsu."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Kagome." She smiled and extended a hand for him to shake. He eyed it uncertainly, and she laughed. "It's one of my village customs. You hold my right hand with yours and shake."

They shook hands, and the handsome underlord grinned at the miko. "So, Lady Kagome, how did you come to be on Lord Sesshomaru's arm?"

"Long story," she said absently, touching her scalp with her fingers. "Geez, my head's gonna be sore til man walks on the moon!"

Natsu stared at her curiously. "Meaning the pain will never go away?"

Kagome laughed nervously. "Oh no, I, um, believe that in about five hundred years man will go to the moon, so I'm just saying it'll ache for a _really_ long time."

Natsu nodded, but there was a shrewd look in his eyes. "So you are a futureseer?"

"N-no!" she stammered. "Just a regular schoo- um, girl."

The kitsune gazed into her eyes unnervingly.

"What?" she protested.

"Nothing. Shall we dance?"

Music had started while they were talking, and the middle of the room was being cleared for dancers.

"Why not?" Kagome smiled and let Natsu tug her onto the dance floor, laughing together.


	32. As If I Care

Sesshomaru was trying his very best to throw off the annoying she-demons. They were so very annoying, chirping in high-pitched fake voices.

"Oh, Sesshomaru-sama!"

"Sesshomaru-sama, you are so funny!"

"Sesshomaru-sama, you take my breath away!"

Finally, he said that he was going to watch the dance from the sidelines and walked away. The demons trailed after him like chicks after a mother chicken, twittering.

**The miko would never flatter us falsely,** thought his beast in a surly tone.

_Hn._

**The miko would never say something she didn't mean.**

_What about it?_

**I'm saying you should make the miko your _real_ lover so that you can watch those bitches' faces turn from cheery to furious and envious.**

_No,_ Sesshomaru decided. _The miko is a human._

**Your father laid with a human.**

_And it was his downfall._

Sesshomaru cut short the conversation and scanned the room for the miko. If she had attempted to escape, he would make her submit until she fell unconsious.

He narrowed his eyes when he found her chatting to another lord. An underlord. A kitsune.

His keen ears picked up her laughter.

**She has not laughed like this ever for us.**

_As if this Sesshomaru cares_, he thought, but scowled when the kitsune took her hand and they started dancing, still chatting and laughing.


	33. Kiss

**Holey Camoley, guys! 98 follows, 65 faves, and _214_ reviews?! You guys are SOOO awesome! Thanks for checking this story out on FFNet, my Dokuga readers! I love you all for being amazing fans!**

**Oh, and I will be going to Georgia for a work conference, and won't be back till Sunday Central time, so I updated like one day after my other one! I may be staying at a hotel with WiFi, I dunno. Well, I might update before Sunday, I might not.  
**

**So knock yourself out with this chapter!**

* * *

"So, now that we have time, will you tell me how you came to be in Lord Sesshomaru's possession?" Natsu gazed into her eyes and marveled at the sheer _blueness_ of them.

Kagome bit her lip, suddenly reluctant. She fiddled with the sleeve of her kimono, wishing she could just rip off the top two layers. It was getting _hot_ and _sweaty _down there, if you know what she meant. She wanted deodorant very badly.

She sighed in resignation. "Alright. Have you ever heard of Inuyasha?"

"The half-demon, bastard brother of Lord Sesshomaru? He who travels with a human miko, fox demon, cat demon, demonslayer, and monk?" He looked puzzled for a second.

"Yeah. Well, I'm that human miko." She searched his eyes for a hint of revulsion, disgust, anything. They widened.

"But you seem to have very little reiki- " he began.

"Because Sesshomaru put a charm on me that steals my reiki as it grows. He stores it in a little glass ball."

"But why would you- "

"Be in this place in the first place?"

He nodded.

"Um, well, see, me and my friends were at a village and I went off by myself and these slavers got me, and then at the market thing, Sesshomaru bought me." She picked at her collar. "See, it's a mark of my bond to him, and it also serves to force me into the 'submit' position when he says 'submit.'"

A glint of humor glimmered in Natsu's eyes. The underlord smiled, showing his fangs. "Never fear, Natsu is here," he said in a deep voice. Returning to his normal voice, he added, "Kagome-chan, I'll buy you from Lord Sesshomaru and set you free."

* * *

The kitsune and miko exchanged nervous glances.

"He's right there," Kagome said in a hushed voice. "Just go!"

"Alright alright," mumbled Natsu. "Here goes. This might be the last time you see my head connected to my neck, so maybe a good-bye kiss?"

Kagome laughed shakily. "Uh, okay... You're doing this for me after all." She rose up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his cheek tentatively.

Awkwardly, the fox stepped away and headed towards Sesshomaru. He cleared his throat and coughed nervously. "I want to buy that slave of yours," the kitsune announced.

Sesshomaru stared at him. His clawed hand went automatically to his hip, forgetting that his swords were not there; there were no weapons allowed at a ball. He found himself regretting that rule very much.

_Impudent kitsune.  
_

**Yes, quite, **agreed his beast. **Rude, don'cha think? You better say no to the bastard, Sesshy-kun!**

Sesshomaru decided to indulge in his beast's wishes. "No," he said firmly.

"What price?" the underlord cajoled. "Fifty gold pieces? A hundred?"

"She is not for sale," the lord said curtly, and strode away.

Kagome and Natsu watched in dismay.

* * *

**Okay, never mind, 66 faves and 100 follows! Yay!**


	34. Killjoy

**Great news guys! M'hotel has WiFi! So yeah, I updated ASAP! Got here about 6 hours ago at 2 a.m., and I was out like a log :) Anyways, enjoy! And if you're wondering how I seem to be updating whenever I want to, it's because I have several chapters written out already :)**

* * *

Sesshomaru was fuming. He shook off a clingy leopard demoness angrily and glared through the crowd. That wench had gotten far too friendly with the fox for his liking! Or was it the other way around? Who had approached who first?

It did not matter.

He would see to it that they would never see each other again.

Ever.

* * *

Kagome touched Natsu's sleeve with tentative fingers. "Thanks for trying," she said, and she meant it.

The handsome kitsune scowled. "It should have worked."

"You tried," she repeated, and smiled. Underlord Natsu was lost in the depths of those blue eyes and did not sense a certain youkai walking up behind him.

"Underlord Natsu."

"Lord Sesshomaru!" He turned around and bowed. Kagome narrowed her eyes and didn't bother with the show of respect.

The inu taiyoukai's gaze shifted to her, then back to Natsu. "You will leave the ball," he said curtly.

Kagome gasped indignantly. "You will not, Natsu-kun!" She pointed a finger at Sesshomaru. "And you, you quit bossing other people around! It's not very polite, you know, to kick out a guest at a party."

The lord's eyes narrowed dangerously and he pointed a clawed finger at the fox, then moved it to point to the door. Getting the hint, Underlord Natsu hurried away, casting a backwards, sympathetic glance to Kagome.

Fuming, the ex-miko rounded on Sesshomaru. "You are such a killjoy!" she shouted. The lords and ladies turned to stare at her. "I meet a nice guy that I like, and I'm talking to him, and you snatch him away as soon as you get the chance! You are being over possessive! And guess what? There's another word for that! **_Selfish! _**That's what you are, isn't it? Just plain old selfish!"

Enjoying the horrified gasps she could hear quite clearly- she could even see some drama queens swooning- Kagome smirked. "Looks like I'm the only one brave enough to stand up to you!"

"Go to your room," Sesshomaru growled in a low voice. His eyes were flickering between gold and scarlet.

A dash of fear twinged through her mind, and Kagome rolled her eyes. "Fine," she scoffed, and walked off, wrenching the irritating pins from her hair and tossing them over her shoulder. As she walked away, she could hear the clacks as they dropped to the ground.

* * *

**Whee! Longer chapter than normal! I told ya guys to expect some of those! Anyways, longer chapters means slower to update, sorry! :( Oh well, just review, okay? XD**


	35. Shimmy to Freedom

**Guys, you make my life so much brighter! 124 follows, 76 faves, and 245 reviews?! This is by far the most popular fic I've ever written! I know this is pretty amateurish compared to some of Sunset Miko's works (they have like 500 follows) but this by far passes my expectations...**

**Sadly, you'll have to expect some slow downs in updates because I'm trying to finish off a fic called Cherry Blossoms Against a White Sky; that way I can concentrate on this one more! Till it's done, I'm thinking a once-a-week update, maybe twice-a-week. What do you think?**

* * *

Kagome pursed her lips as she stalked through the corridors. The endless trailing of her kimono layers was annoying her, so she ripped off the top two layers. All that was left was a thin yukata. She sighed in relief as cool air caressed her arms and legs.

"Freedom," she muttered. "Or at least, as much as I can get in this hellhole."

Arriving at the doors to Sesshomaru's room, she pushed through them like a bull on a rampage and plopped down on the floor. She raked her fingers through her loose hair, trying to get some order.

"He is such a jerk," she ranted loudly. "A total numbskull! I absolutely refuse to stay here!"

Kagome's eyes narrowed as an idea struck her. "Hey hey hey, Inuyasha's subjugation necklace only works if he can hear my 'sit' command. So there's a distance thing involved. Which means, if Sesshomaru is far enough from me, this strangling and submitting thing might not work..."

That was enough for her.

She rushed to the bed and collected all the linens. She proceeded to rip them into strips with her teeth, which was a lot harder than it seemed because they were made of silk. Kagome knotted them together into one humongous line of cloth and grinned over the result like a proud mother hen.

She hurried to the window and peered over the edge. It was a couple of floors up, so the cloth ought to be plenty. She tossed one end out and slowly fed it down until it brushed the ground. As fast as she could, Kagome tied the other end to a bedpost, tying it as securely as possible.

Taking a deep breath, she climbed onto the windowsill. She wrapped her legs around a length of cloth and slowly eased her butt off the reassuring wood. Under her weight, the line slid down until there was no more slack- and then it stopped, much to her relief.

Slowly she started to shimmy down, clinging to the mutilated silk for dear life. There was a moment when a knot seemed to loosen suddenly and Kagome's heart leapt into her throat, but otherwise all was well.

She hopped down to the ground and sighed in relief. "Glad that worked," the miko muttered, and without a backward glance, she ran.

* * *

**Yes! Go Kagome! Run! But beware; dogs LIKE chases! Mwahaha...! So review, my underlings, and feed my bunny of passion...**


	36. Dead Meat

**Okay...Some responses to reviews, as I don't feel like PM-ing! Please read it, it may be one of your questions.**

**CUSpacecowboy: Ok then why did the collar still work when she went through the well with him still stuck on the other side? She couldn't hear him then and he was still able to activate it.**

**Stardust Miko: Ah-ah-ah, I didn't _say_ it wouldn't work...You know how Kagome can be stupid sometimes?...Hehehe...Oh no...Did I give too much away? *eyes dart from side to side rapidly***

**kristasilver: Update more often please the chapters are short anyways but you don't seem to update a lot**

**Stardust Miko: I know it seems like that now, but it's only because school has started again, and my math professor is an old wartbag who assigns tons of homework! :( Plus I signed up for Cross Country. I've never been a runner before, so the practices take a lot out of me. Besides, ask anyone who has followed this story since the beginning; I used to update daily!**

* * *

Kagome raced through the trees, trying to put as much distance between her and the Fluff Monster as possible. She just hoped that she didn't leave a trail reeking of her fear and determination. Ugh, she wanted Sesshomaru to get so drunk on sake that he crashed on his stupid fluffy bed immediately.

The miko couldn't imagine the stoic youkai lord tottering around with hazy eyes and a silly grin on his lips. He had probably never touched his oh-so-royal lips to the rim of a wine flask in his life. But the idea of Sesshomaru with a hangover was very amusing. One of the strongest demons with a killer headache, hunched over a table, popping Aspirins, made her crack up. She hurdled over a log, but a _stupid_ branch sticking out the top _stupidly_ ripped a _stupid_ hole in her _stupidly _thin yukata.

"Gah!" Kagome spat disgustedly. She stopped in her running to turn around and deal a swift kick to the offending branch. "_Gah!_" she shouted in pain and annoyance as a splinter wedged itself in the bottom of her foot. She had neglected to bring sandals; she had kicked them off in the room. Grumbling, she plopped down on the ground. Gritting her teeth, she plucked out the tiny piece of wood, grimacing as she did so. "Ha," she muttered, and got up again.

Kagome dashed away as fast as she could, trying to make up for the lost time. To her annoyance, all those days cooped up in the palace had weakened her muscles. After a minute or two of running, she had to stop and catch her breath.

She bent over, closing her eyes. She could feel the pounding of her blood through her body, in her head actually. The miko took a deep breath and winced when her lungs protested with a sharp jab. She leaned against a tree, vowing to go on after ten seconds. Every moment wasted was another moment in which Sesshomaru could find out she was gone.

True to her word, Kagome separated herself from the tree trunk and braced herself and her legs, but froze.

"I told you!" a male voice was saying loudly and triumphantly. "There's a human wench over in this section of the woods."

"Yes, I smell her now," retorted another male irritatedly. "It isn't my fault I don't have as good a nose as yours. But I _can_ smell that she doesn't smell too bad compared to some other humans."

"Uh-huh. Maybe she'll make a nice..._toy_ for us before becoming our late dinner. The consolation prize for not being at the ball."

"Yes," the second voice agreed.

Her eyes widened comically as she heard this and backed away from the direction of the voice, gulping. From the way he had said 'human,' he was a demon. Without a doubt the other guy was demon too. Without her reiki, she was dead meat.


	37. Sake

**Sorry for the late update, but I wrote TWO chapters, so yes, I was tardy! :) **

* * *

Sesshomaru stared in distaste at the cup of sake in front of him. Why had he requested it to be present at the ball? He hadn't, had he? No, it had been his mother.

His eyes lifted from the wine to said demoness and scowled. _Never again will this Sesshomaru permit you to oversee the ball preparations._

Sasume giggled at her son. "Go on," she urged. "Just one cup, in celebration of this marvelous party! By the way, where _is_ that wench of yours?"

"In our room," he growled before taking a sip of the vile liquid. It coursed down his throat, leaving a trail of fire like a comet. It settled in his stomach, and the feeling that it caused wasn't too bad. Sesshomaru took another sip, then another, then gulped down the rest of the contents. He aimed a glare toward a servant passing by. "Bring me more sake," he snarled, and with wide eyes, she scurried off to do his bidding.

"That was your first sake, wasn't it?" Sasume asked conversationally. She raised an eyebrow and raised her own sake cup to her painted lips. Carefully keeping the purple paint away from the rim of the bottle, she tipped the fiery liquid down her throat.

Sesshomaru didn't bother with the cup this time. He tipped up the bottle and took a swig. Slamming the fine porcelain down on the table, nearly cracking the poor thing, he glared at Sasume.

"Yes," he said thickly. Strange. It was getting harder to speak. It seemed as if his lips were numb. He shook his mercury-adorned head impatiently and took another swig. "Yes," he repeated as a ringing in his head suddenly intensified.

His mother laughed. "Ah, Sesshomaru...I think perhaps you had best be getting to bed." She wiggled her eyebrows mischieviously. "Oh, I remember! 'She's in our bed,' he says. **_Our_ **bed!" She giggled and flipped her silver hair over her silk-robed shoulder. "Ah yes, go on and...**_bed_ **the wench."

Sesshomaru growled in frustration and flexed his claws, but the moment made him dizzy. Blinking once, then twice, he stood up abruptly, knocking over the table.

Sasume yelped and snatched up the sake, hurrying to her feet. "Sesshomaru!" she scolded lightheartedly. "I know you're eager to go _to bed_, but depriving your dear sweet mummers of her precious sake is a never-to-do!"

The demon lord snarled before rushing away.

* * *

**Um, I have never gotten drunk, for some reasons some of you know, but this is my guess. For those who have, tell me if I was too tipsy-fluffy?**

**Anyways, our XC (Cross Country) coach made us run all the way to some elementary school and back to our school. People, that's 3.25 miles total! Ugh! When I go down my house's stairs, my shins and thighs start hurting...Do any of you old-season runners have any tips for better breathing and looser muscles? (not stretching, I've tried** _that_)_  
_


	38. Oh Crap

**People, this is a double-update, meaning there is a chapter before this one you probably haven't read! So hustle your booties over to the 'prev' button! This chapter is for Trinabear, who asked for a two-chapter update! She, unlike _some_ others, requested this in a way that didn't make me feel like a slow doofus whose top job in life is to entertain other people over the Internet. Thanks for the ego boost, girlfriend, I needed it...**

* * *

Sesshomaru started getting a strange feeling in his gut as he got closer to his chamber. Struggling to maintain a straight line through the hallways of his castle, the taiyoukai blinked repeatedly.

_I will never drink sake again..._

At last he arrived at the double doors that announced the importance of what laid beyond the door frame. Carved of expensive wood shipped from overseas and gilded with gold and silver, the massive doors were studded with blue, purple, red, and white jade.

A clawed hand rested for a moment on the ebony handles, then gripped one and pulled. One door opened slowly, and Sesshomaru opened the other quickly. These opened inwards, so he stepped in hurriedly, wanting to crash in his bed in the company of a female.

His beast began to stir at the scent of the human miko; or rather, the lack of it. The inuyoukai stared around the room, not fully comprehending until his dulled honey eyes rested on the knotted bedsheets pooled on his floor, and trailing..._out the window._

Sesshomaru's head dropped down and his silver bangs obscured his reddening eyes. He allowed his rage to engulf him. The demon lord threw back his head and roared, roared, a sound of fury and loss and promise of revenge and retribution.

* * *

Within moments, the demons (yes, demons) came through the trees. Kagome's heart started racing, and she swallowed painfully. She would never outpace these demons, they were youkai after all. No, the only way to walk away from this alive would be to outsmart them. But then weren't demons supposed to be smarter?

She abandoned that cheerful line of thought and started talking. "What are you doing?" she hissed scornfully. "Get out of my way, scum!"

The guards glanced at each other like '_Wha-? What's she talking about?'_

Kagome narrowed her eyes and stamped her foot. "I will have you reported to Lord Sesshomaru if you don't get out of my way!"

"Pardon," said the inu youkai cautiously. "May we ask what you're talking about?"

"I am Rin's nanny! Lord Sesshomaru brought me to his castle because Rin, his ward, wished for human company! I was _going_ to relieve myself where demons couldn't smell me because I'm just that nice kind of person, but really! He will behead you if he learns of this!" She glared at them furiously.

The bear youkai gulped nervously and darted a glance to his companion. By some unspoken agreement, they stepped aside.

Kagome let out a silent breath and marched past them. She had barely gotten three steps when a loud roar echoed through the valley. She didn't speak inu, but the sound pretty much explained itself.

Sesshomaru was very, very angry.

The guards exchanged terrified glances and started inching towards her. "I think, milady, that it is best if you stay with us until the matter is cleared up," the inu youkai said, and grabbed her arm. The bear grabbed the other.

Oh crap.


	39. Never Been Birthed

Sesshomaru's eyes were shut tight, his hands clenched in white-knuckled fists at his sides. His clothes seemed to billow out from his body although there was no wind.

His eyes snapped open, and what had been white was a bright scarlet and what had been gold was a vivid teal. His beast had taken over.

**We must find her,** it snarled, and kicked the mangled door of its cage contemptuously. **And we will make sure she NEVER slips through our fingers again. EVER!**

Sesshomaru bolted across the room to the open window and pelted straight through. As he flew through the air, he transformed into his true body, a giant silvery white dog. He landed in the soft, perfectly trimmed grass, and his long claws sank into the peat. He bared his fangs in a guttural snarl, and the corners of his large jaws lifted in a sinister smile.

**I am coming for you, miko.**

With this dark promise in mind, the inutaiyoukai bounded away, nose keenly searching out her scent, her aroma. When he found her, she would wish she had never been birthed into this world.

* * *

**A teaser! Mm, you guys probably think of me as some kind of drug...You need me, but you hate that you do. LOL**

**The more reviews, the faster I update, people! I'll update on Saturday if I have over 200 reviews by Friday night, Central time in the US!**


	40. A Little Fun

**Oops sorry, I meant to say 300 when I said 200! Anyways, when I checked like literally three hours after my update, I hade 301 reviews! I was VERY happy, and so I'm updating on Friday as a treat! I'm awsum and I know it~...**

**Edit: Okay, 311 reviews! And I read the one about being somewhere with no WiFi for the weekend, and I sympathize! I hate how real life can get in the way of pleasure! So I was like, No way girlfriend, I'm updating this one just for you plus the one who said 'pretty please!' :)**

* * *

Kagome shut her eyes tight, and her breathing became erratic.

_No. No. I can't go back to that life. I just can't. _

She kept waiting for the familiar tightening of her collar, but it never came. After about ten seconds, she opened her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she lashed out with her foot, connecting with one of the youkai's 'jewels.'

With a howl of pain, the unlucky dude let go of her arm like it was a game of hot potato, doubled over, and clutched his you-know-whats, moaning.

Next youkai.

Kagome turned around, fists up, but it was too late. He grabbed her wrists, squeezed hard enough to make her gasp in pain, and released her very briefly to spin her around 180 degrees. Then he snatched up her wrists again, sped forward, and slammed her front to a tree trunk. He leaned in close, his hot breath in her ear.

"Something's not right about you. Know what? I don't think Lord Sesshomaru would mind if we had a little fun with you, here and now."

_No!_

* * *

**Okay, some people may think I'm dragging this on to torture you guys, but believe it or not, I had these planned out from the beginning. I'm just going along with what I wrote in my notebook, plus a couple details that come to me on the spot.**

**Review and reward me for being early! :)**


	41. Filler-In

Sesshomaru turned his giant head from side to side, seeking out her scent. His eyes widened as the trail got stronger and stronger. Yes, punishing her would be most enjoyable. He imagined several ways for him to make her submit...none of which would be particularly pleasant for Kagome.

His fangs bared in a grin, he zoned in on the miko's aroma and sped up. The wind coursed over his silvery fur, making his pelt look like an ocean of mercury. His claws flexed in anticipation. His eyes focused on a clump of trees. Her fear was rising up in torrents from that place. Why?

Rage reared up in him as he realized there were two male inuyoukai there with her...and he could smell their arousal.

**No! **his beast snarled, and sped up even more as a piercing scream was heard.

* * *

**This is just a partial chapter, because I wanted to give out a little information. Listen up!**

**Both reiki and youki feed off of someone's life force. Every one has life force, but miko and taiyoukai and some of the stronger lesser youkai have an excessive amount of it. They take a bit of it and sort of filter it, and that makes reiki or youki, depending on whether the user is a miko or taiyoukai. Humans are generally too weak. They don't have enough life force to use reiki, hence they don't live as long. But miko have much more, so they live about as long as a demon. The exact span depends on their level of strength.**

**So that is how miko use reiki to heal; they are giving some else life force, which makes them stronger. Same with youkai. **

**Confused yet? You'll need this information later on, so I thought I'd give it to you like this rather than squeeze it in a chapter. Leave a review telling me if it's too confusing okay?**


	42. Please Save Me

**Hello, everybody! Stardust Miko is back in business! Sad to say, but Caged Miko is almost half over! :( Should I make a sequel? And a shout-out to No Uta, one of my most faithful reviewers! She found me on Dokuga then traced me to Fanfiction Dot Net!**

**You really make my day with each of your reviews, girl!**

**She's also following a lot of my other stories *purrs contentedly*! The world needs more peeps like her! **

**Ooh! I almost forgot! In the next few chapters, you're really going to HATE Sesshy! He's going to be VERY VERY VERY mean and cruel to Kagsies!**

**But as this is not a dark fic, they WILL start acting lovey-dovey...Just wait a couple hundred chapters! Lol no JK! You only have to wait like 50! Lol!**

* * *

Kagome screamed as one of the youkai reached for her yukata. He dug his claws into the flimsy fabric and ripped. Her sleeve fell away, and she struggled desperately in the demons' grip, trying to close up her yukata front.

They chuckled darkly, and the other grabbed at her other shoulder. With a quick twist, that sleeve was gone as well. Kagome cried out and prayed that Sesshomaru would get here faster.

* * *

Sesshomaru hovered over the patch of trees the miko was in. The giant silver inu blinked and concentrated, his fluffy tail trailing out behind and around him like solid mist. With a flick of his head, his body contorted in strange shapes. When the fits cleared away, he was in his human, still hovering in midair.

With a snarl and a flash of his molten nectar eyes, Sesshomaru dove into the fray.

* * *

Kagome squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see the bright red eyes of her tormentors. Their inner beasts were coming out at the scent of her strong fear and apprehension, she knew to some extent. All she really knew was that when demons lost control, their eyes seemed to change color and they changed, just a little. Maybe all demons had multiple-personality disorders.

The dog demon pressed her to the ground, straddling her hips with strongly muscled legs. His hands gripped her throat, making it hard to breathe.

"Please..." she choked out, barely making a sound. They chuckled together, but their smirks melted off quickly.

The other youkai snarled and shoved at his buddy. "Move, you big hog! I want her too!"

The first dude snarled right back. "I'm the stronger one! You can have her when I'm done with her!"

"Stop!" she practically screamed. The tensing of her throat made his claws dig in deeper, causing blood to flow out. The night sky blurred with her tears, the stars turning into silver blobs.

_Sesshomaru, please save me!_

* * *

**Oh, thanks to GoldenGryphon for pointing out a few things in my filler-in chappy! Yes, I meant it as in most miko are lesser miko, so they'll have the same life span as, um, youkai like Yura of the Hair, Hiten, and the like!**

**Also Hitomiko is very powerful, it says she could have been as strong as Kikyo, so obviously she is very strong and will live as long as, like, Sesshomaru! Hitomiko and Kikyo are about as strong as Shikon Mikos, so like Taiyoukais!**

**Thanks again to GG!**


	43. Youki Chains

**I, Stardust Miko, your faithful servant, have written up a very long chapter! 750 words to be exact! Do I not deserve a round of applause? Ooh, guess what? I've been working on another SesshKag story! I have about 10 chappies written up already. Should I start posting?**

**Oh, and sorry for the false update! I DID update this chapter this morning! And then I read this chapter again to decide the name of it, and I realized there was a humongous mistake, so I deleted it, not wanting you guys to see my awfulness! So sorry to all you guys! I went to eat lunch and kinda forgot all about it until I saw I had a PM from Cat4789 asking about the false update! So thanks to her and sorry to you ALL!**

* * *

Kagome gasped as the demon on top of her was yanked off with brutal force. "W-what- ?" Her eyes widened as she saw a furious Sesshomaru plunge his hand through the youkai's chest, making a fountain of red erupt from his back, before pulling it back through. The guard evaporated into pea green mist and dissipated quickly in the wind. The other guard was staring at his lord in horror. His fingers fumbled for a leather-sheathed sword tucked into the belt at his side. Too nervous, his claws ended up shredding the leather and the sheathed sword dropped to the ground. He flinched at the noise.

"P-please..." He looked up at his lord with pleading eyes.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow and disposed of him similarly with grace, as if killing were an art. Heck, maybe when he was a kid he took classes to learn how to kill real pretty. Shaking the remnants of his soldiers from his claws, he turned a burning glare on Kagome, who shrank back.

The taiyoukai felt a flare of renewed anger when he saw the state of her yukata. How dare his guards lay a hand on what was so clearly his?

"H-hi?" tried Kagome, cerulean eyes wide. "Um, thanks for, uh, savi- "

The demon lord's face hardened to moonkissed granite. With a guttural snarl, he lunged forward. She yelped with surprise. Grabbing her upper arm, he flipped her onto her stomach. Snatching up her her wrists, he gathered them together with one large, claw-tipped hand and pinned them to her lower back. Kagome winced at the rough treatment.

"Owwie much?!"

Ignoring her whining, he summoned up his youki and willed it to solidify, then take the form of chain links. His eyes flared ever brighter with his terrible anger. The crescent moon on his forehead and the magenta streaks on his cheeks glowed an unearthly poison green. He wrapped the youki chains around her wrists.

Kagome had turned her face to the side to avoid having it mushed into the dirty...dirt. Yes, dirty dirt! Whatever! And now, she felt the most excruciating pain around her wrists. She screamed, a long, drawn-out sound of agony that echoed through the tree-lined valley.

Sesshomaru innerly purred at her pain. **Punish her, **growled his beast. **Show her, make her realize what happens when bitches disobey their masters!**

Finally allowed to release his pent-up frustration over the infuriating kitsune underlord and the overall stress of the evening, his mother, and sake, Sesshomaru reveled in the simple art of causing pain to another. Miko and youkai were polar opposites, and each other's energies burned the other's soul and body. Without her powers, the miko wouldn't have the extra layer of protection from his youki like she usually would have. He tugged the chains tighter, feeling nothing more than a very slight, almost pleasant vibration.

"You filthy bastard!" Kagome shrieked, teeth gritted in pain. "Get off of me!" She thrashed under him like a fish out of water, and he coolly stepped off her, bringing her with him. The miko's breath came in pants. "Now...take...off...whatever...it is...that hurts like _hell!"_

Sesshomaru's features hardened further. "Are you giving orders to this Sesshomaru, miko?" he spat, intensifying the level of youki in the chains.

Kagome sucked in a pained hiss. "Maybe, you dirty mongrel! You have absolutely no right to- "

The demon lord yanked her closer by her wrists and bent his head to speak into her ear. "Wrong," he said softly. "I have every right to punish what is mine for doing wrong."

"I"m not yours, you son of a bitch!" she screamed, wrenching at her bindings. "Can you fit nothing into that big head of yours next to all that over-inflated _ego?!_"

He snarled, eyes flashing a deep red for a heartbeat. "You overstep your bounds, miko," he growled icily, and formed his youki orb around them. "It is time you were disciplined for your actions."

The sphere of bright yellow blazed through the lightening sky toward the Western Castle.


	44. Whipped

**I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sure you all were really pissed off at me...But only Cat4789 was brave enough to PM me. Real life is a total pain in the butt! But remember, writing is not my sole purpose in life! I'm so sorry! I thought of 3 different ways this chapter could go, and I wrote each one down half-way to figure out which was better, but I couldn't choose, but well, now I have! I hope you like my decision! Anyways I made it really long... And I would really like some applause!**

**Remember when I said that there will be longer chapters as the story goes on? You may have noticed that the previous chapter was a little long...from now on, I'm going to try to make it the norm! But warning: Slower updates... Sorry, but I'm only human!**

* * *

Kagome gasped as she was flung on the hard-packed dirt with little ceremony. The movement made the youki chains dig ever deeper into her skin. Before she could struggle even to her knees, an iron fist twisted her hair into its grasp and dragged her several feet forward. Tears welled up in her cerulean eyes from the pain in her wrists and scalp, and the miko let loose a fountain of insults.

"You mangy fleabag...!" The chains disappeared from her wrists. Before she could sigh in relief and rub them carefully, they were yanked around to her front and raised up. A pair of strong hands spun her around so that she was facing away from Sesshomaru. Her wrists were chained once again with youki and secured to a sturdy wooden post. Kagome turned her head to glare at her tormentor. "What have you cooked up in that peabrain of yours, oh-so-mighty lord?" she spat contemptuously.

Sesshomaru held her inflamed gaze with an icy glare that rivaled the heat of her fury. "Must I repeat myself? You, miko, are about to be disciplined for your actions."

He snapped his wrist and his whip materialized. Narrowing his butterscotch candy-colored eyes, the taiyoukai concentrated hard. Slowly, then quickly, the poison evaporated from the strand of youki, removing the green tinge from the weapon. Now the whip was 100% demonic energy.

Kagome eyed the weapon wearily. "Oh, I get it," she said bitterly, eyes shadowed by her bangs. "This is the oldest punishment for _slaves_ in the book. Whipping." She shook back her hair the best she could and met his gaze again, cobalt ice boring into inflamed lava.

Sesshomaru raised his arm gracefully, face impassive. The miko stared into his eyes for a moment more then looked away. Sadness radiated out from her, tainting the air with sourness. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. His possessions were afraid, submissive, not sad. Turning his back on the issue, he lashed out with his whip. It passed straight through the fabric of her ruined yukata, for there was no reiki infused within, but her flesh, her skin burned and blistered at the contact, for it was woven throughout with her holy spirit thoroughly.

A strangled cry escaped her lips at the pain. The whip wasn't just hurting her physically, it was hurting her spiritually as well. Her eyes fluttered as the whip withdrew, then widened as it struck her flesh again. She cried out again, then pursed her lips together. She wouldn't give the bastard any more satisfaction. Her resolve held for two more lashes, then her lips were forced apart by the magnitude of her agony. A shriek tore through the air, and the miko wrenched against her bonds.

Sesshomaru smirked and increased the strength of his youki. He would have to teach his bitch how to behave properly. Those who belonged to the youkai lord were submissive. It would not do for his new plaything to disrupt the safe pattern...

Flames blazed through Kagome's consciousness, and fireworks exploded in her vision. Her eyes glazed over, and she slumped down, her intact yukata hanging from her body limply. She was just so tired... Her eyelids dropped down half-way, and aside from the erratic rise and fall of her chest and jolts from the whiplashes, she was still. Finally, her eyes closed, the brilliant blue of her irises disappearing from view.

Sesshomaru watched as the miko, _his_ bitch, slumped unconscious. _This will not do. _Dissipating her bindings, he struck her hard across her face with the back of his hand. Her eyes flickered open dazedly and met his. Anger flared suddenly in those ocean blue irises. He smirked.

"Your punishment is not yet over," he said darkly, and struck her again across her face. With a grunt, she toppled forward, her hands shooting out to support her. Faster than the human eye could see, Sesshomaru's foot shot forward and knocked them away, so that she landed on the ground. He looked down on the shaking miko sprawled on her stomach in front of him with no little satisfaction.

"Please...Sesshomaru, stop!" she begged. All she wanted right now was Inuyasha's comforting arms wrapped around her. All she wanted right now was for her normal life to be back...if it could be called normal, that was. "I'm sorry, it won't happen again!"

Sesshomaru hooked a booted foot under her chin and cocked it at a certain angle, forcing her head up. After a second, her eyes lifted reluctantly to meet his. The anger had faded from her gaze, replaced by resignation. He nodded once, bright locks swaying gently in the breeze. Hope flared in Kagome's eyes but died as she saw the smirk form on his face.

"I accept your apology. However, as a lasting lesson..." His eyes brightened, and he brought out his youki, forming a bubble around the miko. She was lifted up by the demonic energy. With a grimace, he upped the youki level drastically.

A high-pitched scream pierced the air, causing many of the lower level youkai to wince. Kagome writhed in the air, surrounded on all sides by a sizzling globe of vivid blue. The youki was coming at her, no, it was _soaking_ into her! Her very soul shrank back from the invasive power, but the strange forces overwhelmed her. It seeped into her, staining her purity.

"Noooo!" she cried, thrashing in midair. "Sesshomaru, I'm begging you, please no more!"

He remained silent, watching her agony silently.

"Sesshomaru...Sesshomaru-sama!" she pleaded, tears streaking down her face. The youki felt so _wrong_ in her body, beyond simple discomfort. It was violating her spirit in the worst way. Without her reiki, Kagome was defenseless. "My lord, please stop!" She let out a wail filled with her excruciating pain and desperation.

The taiyoukai froze. She sounded so much like Rin...His beast growled. **Stop now. She has learned her lesson.**

In his stupor, the inuyoukai could do nothing but listen to the miko's cries. They became more and more frantic, edging towards insanity, and he could listen no longer. He released his youki, and the human girl fell at his feet, crying softly.

Sesshomaru turned his head away from the sight, aware of a lump forming in the bottom of his gut. Unwilling to show his weakness to the audience, he kept his voice cold and said, "I will only say it once. Submit."

Much to his surprise, she obeyed instantly, baring her throat to him. Taken aback, Sesshomaru nodded curtly and stalked away, ignoring the pit of emptiness growing in his stomach. She had submitted...but it didn't give him any pleasure as it would have less than a day ago.

* * *

**I worked hard on this chapter people! Okay? So give me some fruddy cruddy applause!**

**Okay, so I'm going to post a series of weird things that I sometimes picture about Sesshomaru. Here goes...**

**#1: How HOPELESSLY ironic would it be if Sesshomaru sang Human by Christina Perri? If you don't know what it is, I strongly suggest you look it up right now... But here are some choice lyrics that made me laugh hysterically at the thought of Sesshy singing 'em!**

_**But I'm only human**_

_**And I break when I fall down**_

_**I'm only human**_

_**And I crash and I break down**_

_**Your words in my head, knives in my heart**_

_**You build me up and then I fall apart**_

_**'Cause I'm only human**_

**I mean, just the TITLE of the song of the song contradicts Sesshomaru's whole image! And the part about being really sensitive and all...It's just got me laughing! And I just think about Sesshomaru replacing CP in the music video, you know, doing that whole sitting-hunched-up-on-some-weird-table and... SESSHOMARU SINGING?!**

**Review me on the chapter and my little question!**


	45. Yes, My Lord

**Hi guys! Guess what? It's my birthday today (Oct. 04)! To celebrate, I did a double update! You know, I was pretty quick considering that fact that it was 2 chappies, and fairly long ones too! Well, this is long, the other isn't QUITE so. Anyways...You're welcome. So after this chapter, there's another one!**

* * *

_Kagome was running through a forest that looked strangely familiar. The luminous crescent moon lit her path, creating jags of shadow where branches blocked the beams of light. It reminded her of something, something that filled her veins with terror. Her legs moved of their own accord, dodging branches and roots that materialized a split second after the image of them flashed in her head. She knew this place well, apparently._

_A sense of closeness filled her head, and she made herself run faster. There was a predator behind her, the predator of all predators, one she had a very small chance of escaping from. But she would take that chance, for if she didn't…_

_The trees began to thin, and hope flooded Kagome's heart. She was close. So close. But she could feel an ominous presence behind her. Just a little further…!_

_A well came into view, a battered old wooden thing overgrown with weeds. She raced across the clearing, horribly aware of footsteps behind her. She dove forward, hands on either side of the well, and slung her legs forward-_

_A hand slammed into her side, flinging her sideways. She cried out in pain and desolation. She knew it was all over._

_She landed in a heap on the ground on her back. A foot pressed down on her throat, and she looked up, dazed. Towering over her, blocking out the moon, was an unearthly being. The moonlight formed a sort of silhouette. She couldn't see his face, but the halo of bright silver around his hair told her plenty. His amber eyes glowed with unholy anger and satisfaction._

_"No…" she choked out, tears filling her eyes and blurring the image of the god. "Please, just let me go…"_

_He chucked darkly, and his foot left her throat. Before she could take a deep breath, he reached down and plucked her up by her throat. Slamming her back against a tree, he leaned in close until their noses touched._

_"Kagome…" he said softly, and a smirk curled the corners of his lips. "How foolish you are for thinking you could escape me, bitch…"_

_"No…" she cried, squirming in his grasp. "Let me go!"_

_He sighed. "Ka-go-me," he said mockingly. "Do you know what happens when pets disobey their masters?"_

_She didn't reply, could only cry softly, tears flowing down her face, making tracks in the dirt and dust covering the porcelain skin._

_"I thought we had gone over this before…" He flicked back a strand of gossamer-fine hair and showed his fangs in a cruel grin. "Well, let me remind you...You are utterly in my mercy, Kagome. I can do whatever I wish with you...No one can or will stop me."_

* * *

Kagome's eyes shot open. Where was she? She could feel soft silk covering her body, right up to her shoulders. How could she feel it? She didn't have any clothes on. She gulped nervously. She sat up slowly, wincing at the pain in her back, and looked around, bunching the sheets up to her chest. Her cerulean eyes noted the bed she was lying on. She was back in Sesshomaru's room and his bed. She looked a little farther and saw white silk, silver hair, and amber eyes.

She gasped and lurched backwards, her back hitting the backboard of the bed, making her cry out in pain. Her eyes widened with fear, and her hands tightened into fists. Kagome bit her lip. What did he want with her?

"Get up, miko," Sesshomaru said, his voice lacking its usual iciness. It was still cold, but there was some... uncertainty in it?

She opened her mouth to protest, but remembered the previous night. Even now, every vein, every muscle in her body ached. "Yes...my lord," she said softly, and lowered her head. She started getting up...but remembered something. "My lord..."

"Yes?"

"My clothes..." She blushed.

Silence. Kagome dared a glance at his face. His jaw was twitching whether from annoyance or amusement she couldn't tell.

"Very well," he finally said. "A maid will come with a fresh yukata. Get dressed and come to the dining room."

"Yes, my lord."

He left without a backward glance.

* * *

As Sesshomaru walked out of his room, he couldn't help but feel a little annoyance. He had been expecting the miko to put up a fight; been counting on it, even.

**She's too subdued, **said his beast in a sulky tone. **But hey, **he said, perking up a little. **Did you see her boo- ?**

_Silence! _Sesshomaru snapped, trying unsuccessfully to rid the image his beast was suggesting from his mind. _It is of no matter; both of them! She is as she should be. She should have been submissive from the beginning. And as for your other...observation, it is of no matter!_

**Don't give me that poo, **it snickered. **You _liiiiiiked _looking at those great- **

With a snarl, Sesshomaru planted his fist in the wall as he passed, making a crater. _I said, silence!_

* * *

Breakfast was very quiet. No one talked very much. Sesshomaru's face was like a glacier, Kagome was silent, and Rin, sensing the general mood, ate wordlessly after a couple of failed attepts to start a conversation.

The taiyoukai sat there, eating raw bear meat, not appreciating the silence at all. Usually the miko and Rin would be going at it like sparrows, chirping and twittering about who knows or cares what. His sensitive ears almost preferred the loud noise to this deafening quiet.

"Miko," he said. She didn't look up from her rice.

"Yes, my lord?"

"You will be spending the morning with Rin."

"Yes, my lord."

"I will be gone on business. Go to Jaken for any questions."

"Yes, my lord."

"Rin, behave. I will be back soon."

"Yes, my lord."

Sesshomarus eyebrow twitched. Sick of all the 'yes, my lord's, he decided to ask a question that demanded a more substantial answer. "What will you two be doing?" He directed it to Kagome, wanting her to chat like she usually did. A question like this could set her off for minutes.

"I'm not sure, my lord."

"I wish to know before I leave," he said, almost desperate.

"I have not decided yet, my lord."

Sesshomaru gave up and finished his breakfast in silence. No one spoke.

The silence almost made his ears bleed with its loudness.

* * *

**I want reviews! No, I DEMAND reviews! I NEED reviews! I want ONE from this chapter and ONE from the next from EVERY SINGLE ONE of you! Got that?!**

**Okay, Wacky Thing for Sesshomaru to Do No. 2!**

**The Macarena! If you don't know what that is, it's a dance. It involves butt-wiggling...Yeah, I'm already in stitches! Just look up Macarena Dance on YouTube and imagine Sesshomaru doing it...**

**HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**


	46. Sesshy Goes Shopping

**Attention, attention! This is a DOUBLE UPDATE (cheers)! So hustle your BUTT ON over to the BACK BUTT-ON! **

* * *

The inutaiyoukai sailed through the skies, mokomoko trailing behind him faithfully. He eyed the horizon coldly. If If one were to be observing him at that moment, they would never know that inside him a storm of newly waken emotions raged. They would think that he was made of some sort of flexible ice.

Sesshomaru caught sight of a town down on the ground far below and a sense of satisfaction filled him for a moment. He angled his flight so as to land in the very middle of the main clearing.

His feet touched down gently on the sparsely grassy dirt. The youkai immediately dropped to their knees and pressed their foreheads to the ground. He nodded once, and they relaxed and rose to their feet. One robin youkai stepped forward timidly.

"My lord, how could we serve you- ?"

"I hear that you have a superior fabrics shop."

"Yes, yes, my lord." The bird demon looked relieved. He had been dreading a darker reason for his master's visit. "Is that all, or- ?"

"That is all." Without another word, Sesshomaru strode off to the building which smelled of freshly pressed flowers and silks. He walked inside the shop, silver hair rippling in the strong breeze. He entered exuding an aura of majesty. Cool amber eyes surveyed the rows of silks and jewels displayed on the walls. The demoness in charge hurried to assist him. "My lord," she said, "How may I help you?"

"I desire a full set of robes for a young woman of noble status. The best of your fabrics, woman." He brought out one of the miko's sleeping yukatas. "Create them to match this size."

"Of course, of course," she purred, and got to bustling around busily pulling silks off the racks. He watched her, noting that she was a spider youkai. She had probably spun these cloths herself.

She showed him a white silk that had strategically placed, faded patches of charcoal gray with a butterfly imprint in each one. "This will be one yukata. This patch of gray will be at her collar, this will be at the end of her right sleeve, this at her left elbow, this right over her sash- " -she motioned to a misty blue piece of silk- "- and then below her sash, the white will gradually fade to gray."

Sesshomaru nodded, pleased with the choice. The colors would go well with her eyes. She summoned one of her assistants, also a spider demoness, to get to work on the yukata at once.

"And..." The spider demoness gestured to a summer-green length of fabric decorated with darker green leaves with a gold sash.

He nodded again, and after handing the silk over to another assistant, they moved on to the next one.

* * *

Sesshomaru left the shop a couple hours later with his gold pouch considerably lighter and a large, neatly wrapped parcel in his arms that contained no less than a dozen yukata and kimono. He had gone all out. He had even gotten matching accessories for each article of clothing; a fan, bracelet, amulet, hairpins, slippers, and the like.

**Careful, **said his beast in a sing-song voice. **One might think you were courting her!**

_Do not be ridiculous, _replied Sesshomaru. _A belonging of mine cannot go under- dressed._

**Yeah...Unless she's in your bed, **it sniggered, bringing the image of the naked miko in his sheets from the morning to the front of his mind. **Then it's fine if she doesn't have on a thing.**

_I said, do not be ridiculous, _Sesshomaru growled, and ended the matter- or tried to. The beast kept snickering over the image all afternoon long.

* * *

Kagome smiled weakly at Rin. "These are buttercups, I think," she said quietly, trying to squeeze some cheeriness into her voice. "Pretty, aren't they?"

"Yes, Lady Kagome," the little girl chirped, trying to make up for the older woman's lack in enthusiasm by being overly cheery. "But Rin still likes the forget-me-nots best!"

"That's fine." Kagome stared up at the sky, painfully aware of the handful of guards clustered around the edges of the field. She knew that they were under orders to stop her if she were to escape...Not that she would try after the drastic consequences of her last episode.

A lump formed in her throat. This was to be the rest of her life, serving a man with a frigid heart and zero mercy. When she died, he would simply replace her and never think of her again. She wanted to be snuggled in the safe embrace of Inuyasha, surrounded by comfortingly familiar sounds like Sango slapping Miroku silly for groping her butt.

Was Inuyasha right now looking up at the sky this exact moment, wondering where the hell she was? Or was he off...hanging out with Kikyo? Did he miss her, or was he glad that she was out of his silvery hair?

She turned away from the sun, embracing the cold of the shadows under the tree. She accepted the cold that was to be her existence from then on with bitterness.

* * *

**Hey, hey, hey, did you get what I did there? Rin likes the FORGET-ME-NOTS best?**

**Wacky Thing for Sesshy 2-Do # 3.0!**

**Cheerleading!**

**Imagine ol' Sesshomaru in a micro mini skirt and colorful vest, doing cartwheels in front of the bleachers during a football game, waving pompoms and screaming, "2-4-6-8, WHO DO WE APPRECIATE?!"**


	47. Chapter 47

**Guess what, guess what, guess what? I'm introducing an OC of one of my most dedicated reviewers! Her name is No Uta (Japanese for song), and I think she's reviewed on practically every chapter! Well, not all, because the first ten or so she read on Dokuga. Then I posted a chapter saying I had this story here, with a WHOLE LOT MORE CHAPTERS, and she came over here! I swear, on Dokuga, it has, like, 13 chapters or something *shudders*.**

**Anyhoo, applause to No Uta...She's the 2nd FFNet member who's received on OC invitation from me(stands for Other Character, i think, and it's a character that's designed by the person and added to the story)! The first was Jenita!**

**Whoop-whoop, you go ladies!**

**Alright, there are MAJOR, I'm talking MAJOR feelings for the Not-So-Human Icicle in this chapter! If you are not a fan of OC Sesshy, get yer boo-tocks OUTTA THIS PAGE!**

**For those of you who are... READ ON OR ELSE!**

* * *

Kagome sat in the meadow with her feet tucked at her side, absently picking at the perfectly manicured lawn with her fingers. Her dark waves were swept over one shoulder, and a few stray locks concealed part of her face. Only one brilliant blue eye was visible.

She looked up, startled, as a shadow fell across the grass in front of her. It was one of the guards assigned to watch over her. The guard was a she, surprisingly enough. She was an inuyoukai with silver hair swept back into a braided ponytail and startlingly bright hazel eyes. Dressed in the sort of samurai garb that Kagome recognized form history books and the occasional meeting in the Feudal Era, she looked...well, a little more human than the typical demon...minus the hair and sleek grace. She didn't know there were demon Samurai. The demoness bowed her head curtly, the long bangs draped on the sides of her face swinging forward for a second.

"My lady," she said in a soft, yet hard voice that reminded Kagome of a song that she had heard long, long ago that she couldn't remember the name of. "My lord has requested that Miss Rin returns to the castle by noon for lunch."

She was the first youkai who had bothered to speak in a genuine nice tone to Kagome, and the miko smiled tentatively. "Oh, okay. We'll go in now. Uh, what was your name again?"

The guard looked a tad bit startled, but recovered, shielding her face with ice. "Tamashi, my lady. Tamashi no Uta."

"Song of the Soul. That's a really pretty name," Kagome said softly, starting to stand up. She turned, looking around for Rin. She spotted her in the flowerbushes. "Rin!" she called. "It's time to go in now!"

"Yes, Lady Kagome!" she barely heard the child answer. Tamashi, of course, heard perfectly well.

Kagome waited for Rin to come to her side, then started walking back to the castle. She stopped when she realized that Tamashi was following her. She stared at her.

"My lord has ordered for me to keep an eye on Miss Rin."

"Oh." Quiet, Kagome wove through the hallways until she reached the double doors of Sesshomaru's chambers. Holding back a shiver, she stepped in. It was dark, and it was empty, much to her relief. And lonely. "Um, Tamashi?" She poked her head out the door. The guard was just disappearing around the corner, but stuck her head around the bend when she heard her name.

"Yes, my lady?"

"Just, Kagome, please," the miko said, smiling. "Will you come inside with me? It's kinda lonely..."

Tamashi looked awkward. "A normal guard does not have the authorization to be in my lord's quarters, La...Kagome. If he were to smell my traces inside his chambers,- "

"Oh, poo!" Kagome pouted half-heartedly. Normally, she would tell the guard to quit being a wienie, but after...what had happened, she didn't want to risk the same fate for her. "Fine. Let's go back outside. Rin can have her lunch there."

Tamashi hesitated, then nodded curtly. "Yes, L- Kagome."

-oOo-

Kagome was back in the meadow, only she was now sitting up against a sakura tree, and the sun was just barely visible in its flight from daytime. The once-pale blue sky was now a dusky indigo streaked with lovely shades of violet and rose. Golden clouds drifted across the sky, shaded a little scarlet with just a hint of russet. The sight was truly beautiful, with stars fading in faintly overhead.

She kept her eyes on Rin as she played, but her mind was somewhere else. A place, no, _time_ when a carefree girl roamed the Feudal Era freely with a nasty-tempered hanyou in tow, along with several _much, much, you-can't-begin-to-understand-how-much _more agreeable companions.

Kagome lost herself amid the memories of her bygone days.

-oOo-

Sesshomaru landed silently in the glade behind and slightly to the side of her, golden eyes fixed on his miko. The stoic taiyoukai noted the wistfulness on her petite face and felt a slight nudge deep inside. As he stepped closer, he noticed crystalline tears making their way down her cheeks. As he watched, she buried her face in her hands and sobbed quietly.

A twang in his frost-shielded heart.

A strange sort of vibration in his silver-cloaked head.

Not liking the unfamiliar feelings at all, Sesshomaru said in his baritone voice, "Miko."

He saw her back stiffen, her sobs cease immediately. She slowly lifted her head and said almost imperceptibly, "My lord."

Irritation. Would his name never cross those perfectly shaped lips again? Stifling the emotion, he dropped the parcel of gifts on her lap. She stayed stiff and frozen and didn't move to open the package.

"What is it?" she asked dully.

Glad that she wanted to know, if only a little bit, Sesshomaru said, "What do you think, miko? Use your human senses."

Coldly, she shot back, "Is it another collar for the pretty, obedient pet?" Her hands formed fists, but she still refused to turn her head and look at him.

"Take a look," he answered, voice reaching beyond subzero temperature.

"I have no interest, my lord."

Sesshomaru was invincible. "Open it."

"I'd rather not, my lord."

Sesshomaru ignored her. "Open the parcel."

"No, my lord."

Sesshomaru pretended to be a stone wall...that could talk. "Open it _at once._" He injected icy venom into his tone.

Lips pursed tightly together, she obeyed. Her fingers deftly found the knots in the ribbon and undid the complicated arrangement. She slowly pulled the cloth apart to reveal a neatly stacked pile of clothes.

Clothes.

_Clothes..._

_CLOTHES...?!_

The sexist pig! Did he think he could win her over with _CLOTHES?! _She threw up a barrier of coldness over her heart and started packing it back up. She gave up halfway and finally looked at Sesshomaru. Her blazing eyes looked brilliant next in the backdrop of the twilight sky.

She spoke quietly, yet viciously.

"You can dress up your pet, my lord. You can polish up your toy. You can pamper your plaything. But she'll always be a slave, no matter how much gold and silk you slather on her. And though her body belongs to you, you'll never own her heart or soul."

The miko stood up and stormed away towards the castle. Two guards followed her, making sure she did not escape. The remaining guards stared up at the darkening sky or down at the grassy, flowery ground, or at the mountains in the distance.

They were afraid to gaze upon the coldly furious face of their master.

All except one.

Her braided ponytail of silver locks swayed in the evening wind as her hazel eyes pierced the night solemnly, looking straight at the lord.

Sesshomaru stared after _his _miko as she walked away. She had turned her back on him. She had rejected his gift.

The hastily reassembled parcel laid abandoned on the ground. Silks and gold were spilling out onto the grass, egged on by the breeze.

He glared at the retreating back of his bitch. He _would_ win her over. He would force his laws on her, force her to obey his every word.

That was what he wanted, after all.

Total, unconditional obedience.

Somehow, his beast disagreed as it shifted in his chest, disappointed and angry at their miko's reaction.

His bitch.

* * *

**Ahhhh, I feel so refreshed! Well, this is the longest chapter so far of Caged Miko...1500 words! I know there are some chapters out there that have like, 5,000 words, but hey, now that I think of it, it's the longest chapter I've written.**

**For any story.**

**ANY STORY.**

**EVER!**

**Squee! I TOLD you guys that the chapters would get longer! Hee hee hee!**

**Wacky Thing for Sesshy To Do #4:**

**Singing Christmas carols while wearing a red Santa cap with a white fur trim and white poof ball at the end and jingling bells sewn all over..._  
_**

_**Jingle bells, jinge bells, jingle all the way**_

_**Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh,**_

_**HEY!**_


End file.
